System of electric car-lighting.



No. 788,990. PATBNTED MAY 2, 1905. R. D. APPERSON & A. J. KOHLER.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC GAR LIGHTING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1904.

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Q/ W v No. 788,990. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905, R. D. APPERSON & A. J. KOHLER.

. SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC UAR LIGHTING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 24, 1904.

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Patented May 2, 1905.

UNITED STaTTs PATENT @rricn.

RICHARD l). APPERSON AND Al BERT J. KOHLER, OF LYNCHBURG, Vllt'G-l Nl A.

SYSTEM @F ELEG' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 788,990, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed March 24, 1904. Serial No. 199,8d4.

Be it known that we, RICHARD D. Armin.- SON and ALBERT J. Konnnn, citizens of the United States, residing in the city of Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State oi Virginia, have invented a new and useful Device for Switching Headlights and Platform- Lights on Electric Cars or other Vehicles Using Electric Lights, of which the following is a complete specification.

Our invention relates to devices for switching the headlights and platform-lightsof electric vehicles, and has for its particular object to provide a means whereby the headlight and rear platform light may be autoi'natically switched in as the trolley-pole is reversed at the end of the route or the motorman changes his controller-handle from one controller to the other in preparing for the return trip. The connections are so made that the front headlight, the rear-platform light, and the interior car-lights are all switched in by simply preparing the car for the return trip, while the front-platform light and the old headlight are automatically cut out thereby.

In order that our invention may be clearly understood, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of our invention applied to an overhead-trolley car. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the self-adjusting contact-shoe and terminal plates. Fig. 3 is a central sectional elevation of the contact-shoe. Fig. 4c is a diagrannnatic view of our invention applied to a third-rail-system car or an underground-trolley car, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the controller with the switching device applied thereto.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, an electric trolley-car is here shown in diagram, the two ends of the car being designated, respectively, A and B. There are two lightingcircuits, one of said circuits containing the terminals 1 2 and the other of said circuits containing the terminals 1" 2". The circuit in which the terminals 1 2 occur we shall for convenience term the a circuit, and sumlarly the circuit which contains the terminals l 2 we shall term the 7) circuit.

.lt will be seen from the drawings that current can flow through neither of these circuits until contact is made between the two terminals 1 2 or 1 2, as the case may be. In order to make this contact, we provide an adjustable contact-shoe which is shown in detail in Figs. and will be described later in the specification.

Starting at the point 1, where the current enters from the trolley-pole, the current passes along by wire 2, through a hand-operated switch 3, and thence along wire l. From the wire i it may take either of two courses. If the contact-shoe 5 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the a circuit is closed and the current goes to the terminal 1. I From the terminal 1*it goes by the contact-shoe 5 to the other terminal 2 and thence along the wire 6 to the rear-platform light 7, (the end B of the car being the rear end, as shown in Fig. 1.) From the rear-platform light 7 the current passes along the wire 8 to the headlight 9, from there by wire 10 to the interior carlights 11.. down by wire 12, and to ground through the car-wheels, (represented by 13.)

Nhen the contact-shoe 5 is in the position to connect the terminals 1" 2", then the a circuit'is open and the circuit is closed, in which case the lighting is as follows: The current passes from the wire at to the terminal 1, through the contact-shoe 5 and to the other terminal 2, and along the wire 1 11 to the platform-light 15 at the A end of the car, (this now being the rear end.) From the platformlight 15 it passes through the wire 16 to the wire 17, which latter leads to the headlight 18 at the B end of the car. From the headlight 18 the current passes by the wire 19 to the interior car-lights 11 and thence down to ground by wire 12 and car-wheel, (represented by 13.) it will thus be seen that in whichever direction the car is running the headlight and r the rear-platform light, as well as the interior car-lights, will always be on, while the frontplatform light and the headlight at the rear end of the car will always be off.

We have described the invention as applied to the ordinary overhead-trolley car; but when applied to an underground-trolley car or a car which takes its power from a third rail the switching device is operated by the controller, as shown in Fig. 4. In this figure each circuit is provided with two terminal fingers 1* 2*" and 1" 2", which have the same function as the radial plate-terminals 1 2 and 1 2 of Fig. 1. The current enters by wire 2, passes through the hand-operated switch 3 into the wire t, and then, as before, takes one of two circuits, according to which is closed. In Fig. 4 the circuit is closed at the B end of the car. Therefore the current passes through wire 20 to the terminal linger 1 It then goes through one ,of the selfadjusting contact-shoes 5' and into the terminal finger 2'. From there it passes by wire 21 to the headlight 18, then through the wire 22 to the platform-light 15, through wire 23 to the wire 24, through the lights 11, and to ground by wire 25.

Supposing the circuit to be closed through contacts 1*" 2, the other circuit being open, the lighting will in this case be as follows: The current will go from the wire et to the wire 26, through the contact device at the A end of theear, through the wire 27 to headlight 9. From the headlight 9 it travels by Wire 28 to platform-light 7, through the wire 29 to the wire 2%, through the lights 11, and to ground by the wire 25.

Having described the wiring by which our invention may be carried out, it now remains to describe the particular construction of the self-adjusting contact-shoe 5 and the other parts of the switching mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 2, two pairs of plate-contacts are shown, which are preferably curved to an are having its center at the base of the trolley-pole support, though it is obvious that these plates might be made straight without departing from the spirit of our invention. They may be secured to the top of the car in any well-known manner, suitable insu lation being interposed between them and the car-roof.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, the preferred form of self-adjusting contact-shoe is here shown in detail. This shoe is C0111- posed of a block 30 of non-conducting material having a convex lower face. A plate of sheet metal 31 provides the conducting-surface for the contact-shoe. In order that this shoe may have suitable adjustability, it is provided with a springmounting, as shown clear] y in the drawings. formed in the body portion 30 of the shoe, which are adapted to receive a pair of springs The lower flanged ends 34 of the bolts 35 bear against the upper ends of these springs, and the bolts 35 are retained in their proper position by means of a plate 36, secured to Two recesses 32 are the top of the shoe and provided with suitable perforations, through which the bolts are passed. The bolts also serve as the means for connecting the shoe with the base of the trolley-pole support, as their upper ends are reduced and provided with a screwthread. the reduced upper ends being passed through perforations in a plate 37, secured to the rotating base of the trolley-pole support, and nuts 38 being screwed onto the threaded ends of the bolts to secure them to the plate 37. It is evident from this construction that as the trolley-pole is turned around the base will rotate and cause the shoe to travel in the arc of a circle until its convex under surface strikes against the terminal plates, whereupon the shoe will ride up on the latter against the action of the springs 53. By this mechanism a contact means is provided which has perfect self-adjustability and can conform to any irregularities of the terminal plates.

In the case of our invention being applied to underground-trolley cars or third-rail systems, in which case there is no trolley-pole to operate the switching mechanism, we prefer to provide each of the reversii'ig-cylinders of the controllers with two of the alxae-described adjustable contact-shoes 5', so disposed thereon that when one of the controh lers is in operative condition- 0., one of the reversing-0y]inders is in either the front or back position-one of its shoes will be in contact with the two terminal fingers at that end of the car. This construction is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It is evident from this figure that when one of the reversing cylinders is in. say, the forward position the circuit through the contact device at that end of the car will be con'ipleted. It is also evident that when the reversing-cylinder is in an intermediate position neither one of its contact-shoes will be in position to complete the circuit through its contact-lingers or terminals.

IVhile we have described our invention in exact terms, we do not mean to limit ourselves to the specific constructions herein set forth, it being understood that the particular arrangement of the lighting-circuits, &c., may be varied to meet the demands of particular circumstances without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, the following is what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a system forelectric car-lighting, the combination with a plurality of lighting-circuits, and terminal plates in each of said circuits, of a contact-shoe carried by the trolleypole support, and adapted to close the circuit through a predetermined pair of said terminals.

2. In a system for electric car-lighting, the combination with a plurality of lighting-circuits, and terminals in each of said circuits, of a contact-shoe adapted to contact between two of said terminals, and a spring connection between said contact-shoe and the support of the trolley-pole.

3. In a system for electric car-lighting, the combination with a plurality of lighting-circuits. of terminals in said circuits, the trolleypole base, and a self-adjustable contact-shoe mounted on said trolley-pole base for connecting a predetermined pair of said terminals.

4:. In a system for electric car-lighting, the combination with a plurality of lighting-circuits, terminals in said circuits, and the trolley-pole base, of acontact-shoe and a springmounting for ad justabl y securing the contactshoe to the trolley-pole base.

5. In a system for electric car-lighting, the combination with a plurality of lighting-circuits, and terminals in said circuits, of the trolley-pole support, and a self-adjustable coutact-shoe mounted upon said trolley-pole support in position to make the connection between a predetermined pair of said terminals.

6. In a system for electric ear-lighting, the combination with a plurality of lighting-cir cuits, and a pair of terminal plates in each of said circuits; of the trolley-pole support, a contact-shoe having a convex lower surface, and a self-adjustable mounting for securing said contact-shoe to the trolley-pole support.

7. A self-adjustable contact-shoe. comprising a body portion of non-conducting material, a conducting-plate secured to the contacting surface thereof, recesses in the body portion, springs in said recesses, flanged bolts bearing againstsaid springs, and a metal plate provided with perforations through which said bolts pass; said metal plate being secured to the main body portion of the shoe.

8. A self-adjustable contact-shoe, comprising a body portion having a convex surface,

a conducting-sheet of metal secured to said convex surface, spring-receiving recesses in said body portion, springs fitting therein, bolts provided with flanged ends which bear against the upper ends of said springs, and means for retaining said bolts in position.

9. A contact-shoe comprising a body portion of non-conducting material, having one convex surface, a conducting-sheet of metal secured on said convex surface, swing-receiving recesses in said body portion, springs litting therein, bolts provided with flanged ends which bear against the upper ends of said springs, a plate provided with perforations through which said bolts pass, said plate being secured to the body portion, and a plate secured to the upper ends of said bolts to provide a means for mounting the contact-shoe on a trolley-pole base.

10. In a system for electric car-lighting, the combination with terminal plates, of a selfadjustable contact-shoe comprising a body portion of non-conducting material, having a convex surface, a conducting-sheet of metal secured to said convex surface, spring-receiv ing recesses in said body portion, springs seated in said recesses, bolts provided with flanged lower ends which bear against the upper ends of said springs, a plate secured to the upper surface of said body portion and provided with perforations through which said bolts pass, and a plate secured to the upper ends of said bolts to provide a means for securing the shoe to its operating means.

The foregoing specification signed this l-il-th day of March, 1904:.

RICHARD I). AIPERSON. ALBERT J. KOHLER.

In presence of- S. G. ArrnRsoN, A. T. POWELL. 

